Food container



-2 1943. c.- M. PLOCHMAN I 2,310313 FOOD CONTAINER Filedjlarch 8, 1941ar/ Q72 b/fochmcm w Mm, W

Patented Feb. 2, 1943 flUNlfI-ED .smrss ATE-NT ()FFiC- E 'FOOD CONTAINERl Carl-M. 'Plochman, Chicago, 111. Application March 8, 1941, SerialNol'382yl17 5 Claims.

1 The invention relates to sealed food containers and'amore particularlyto containers of the'type in which food products such, for example asmustard, cheese, honey, :jams, jellies, etc., may be packaged for saleandin which the product may be kept in the'refrigerator or pantry shelfby the purchaser for partial consumption from time tositimeiuntiltheproduct is entirely used 'up.

-'It is a general object of the invention to provide a food container ofthis type embodying novel: closure means characterized by its simplicityof construction and use and its effectiveness'asfan efiicient sealingmeans not only when originallyxapplied to the container by themanufacturenr-but. also when reapplied numerous times 'by the consumer.V

1It..iis.another object of the invention to provide aniiarticlelof thistype embodying a stopper member which has a novel cooperative relationwith aisealing memberand which, when the food has been.consumed,.may beutilized alone apart from the sealing'means as a'coverfortheeontainer'lfor storing other foods which do ot require sealing.

It is a further'obiect ofthe invention toyprovide anew and improvedcontainer closure arrangement which operates 'onthe, principle offlexing a resilientsealing member into yieldable sealing relation withthe :container, -as-distinguished'from compression .of the sealingmember, to the'iend that it may be easilyapplied and removed with aminimum force expenditure by the' user, yet at the same I time providean :efficient sealing effect.

Other-objects and advantages of theinvention Wilt-become apparent as thefollowing description proceeds taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing inwhich:

"Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of a container and closure meanstherefor embodying the features of the present invention as seen inassembled relationship.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View similar to Fig. i lbut showingthe parts in exploded or disassembled relationship.

have i shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detailf'the'preferredembbdimentifiut itis to 'benunderstood that I do notthei'eby'in tendoto limit the inventionto'the "specific-firm disclosed but intendto cover all'modififcations and alternative constructionsfalling within-the spirit and scope of the invention'as'expressed-in the appendedclaims.-

- I have illustrated in the. drawingm'erely for purposes of" disclosure,a container rlfl having a generallycylindrical butslightly taperedsidewall I Landbeing' formed preferablyof glass for the purpose of enhancingtherapp'earanceof the container so that-it may be used as anattractivearticle of tableware. .In this connection the container: is designedparticularly," 'but'by"no means. exclusively, for such food products asmustard, cheese, honey and the like which may .be partially-consumedfrom time :toi time; "the container -being provided with meansfforeffecting a hermetical seal in the meantime. When the contents iscompletely consumedthe container maybe reused forsuganiams,'jlliesfpidkles and .the like which. do not necessarily require sealingand which-may be 'placeddirectlyon the table inthe container. v

7 One of the-problems encountered in the use of jars orcontainers ofthis type is the "provision of a simple =yet-efiective sealing means"whlch is 'easy' for the-housewife or other user to apply and -remove,-and'which at" the sametimywill' positivelyassure -eifective sealing.Ma'nyexpedients for accomplishing 4 this end" have been squeezing thebodyf a resilient gasket or washxer :between rigid substantiallyi flatopposed $1 .1-

iaces'on the container mouth. and caporsto'pper member, respectively. 2Obviously isuch an arrangem'entnecessitates the use of considerableforcesufiicient to compres'slthe body of'theseah ring' mem berwSimilarly the removal 0 Closure means sealed l in this fashion isfrequently ex- 'tremely difficult.

I have accordingly provided a sealing {closure means which operates on anew andfdiflerent principle and which-isefiective to'overcom"thedifficulties outlined .abovef'The principle"is"that of flexingairesilient sealing member b a; forceapplied at a point awayifrom" itssealingfcdntact area to exert a yieldable .se'aling fefiect at saidapart from the sealin area, as distinguished from a compression betweentwo rigid opposed surfaces at said area.

' Thus, in the instant embodiment, referring more particularly to thedrawing, the open, generally cylindrical mouth portion of the container19 is provided with an internal annular shoulder I2 having a flat upperface 13 disposed slightly below the top of the container. A flexibleresilient sealing member [4 of any suitable material such, for example,as cardboard or rubber, and normally having a flat disk-shaped contour(see Fig. 2) is designed to seat peripherally on the face [3 of theshoulder l2 and extend in closing relation to the mouth of thecontainer. A stopper l5, preferably of glass, and having a knob handleIt; has an external diameter dimension less than that of the innerperiphery of the mouth of the container but greater than that of theshoulder l2 so that it may fit within the mouth. The stopper is providedwith a depending annular flange l1 radially inwardly of its edge andhaving a diameter dimension less than that of the shoulder l2. Uponapplication of the stopper l5 to the mouth of the container, the flangeH is adapted for bearing engagement on the sealing member [4 radiallyinwardly of the shoulder.

Means are provided for exerting a downward closing force on the stopperso that the depending flange ll, which bears on the sealing member 14inwardly of its peripheral contact with the shoulder l2, will cause theresilient sealing mem-- her to flex and assume a concave or dished shape(see Fig. 1). In the present instance a metallic rim is having adepending skirt portion I9 is provided with a plurality of bosses 2Ustruck on its internal surface. The bosses cooperate with an externalledge or shoulder 2|, in the present instance formed by an annulargroove in the external wall of the container. The rim i8 is providedalso with an internal annular flange portion 22 for engagement with anannular flat face portion 23 on the stopper [5.

. The dimensional relationship of the parts is such that after theflexible sealing member I l and the glass stopper are seated in positionand the rim [8 is pressed over the container until the bosses 26 snapinto engagement over the shoulder 21, the flange ll on the stopper willdepress the sealing member against the force of its own resiliency toits flexed concave position as seen in Fig. 1. The sealing member issufficiently resilient so that after the rim has been snapped'onto thetop of the container the tendency of the sealing member to return to itsnormal or flat position (Fig. 2) effects a tight yet .yieldable sealingrelation at its periphery with theupper face l3 of the shoulder memberl2, and particularly with the inner peripheral upper edge thereof. Thus,it will be apparent that the sealing effect is caused by a flexing forceon the resilient disk at a point away from the sealing area so that theresistance of the disk to flexure results in a yieldable sealing forceexerted on the internal shoulder of the container. Such an arrangementcreates a permanent and effective seal yet, at the same time, does notrequire nearly the applying or removing force necessary for a ,seal ofthe type wherein a resilient gasket or the like is compressed bodily orsqueezed between rigid surfaces.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 4 of the drawing, I have illustratedthe relationship of the container and the stopper when used separatelymeans. After the contents of the jar, as originally packaged, isconsumed, the container may be refilled with various food products suchas sugar and the like, not requiring sealing. The depending annularflange I1 011 the stopper, being dimensioned to engage the sealingmember radially inwardly of the shoulder I2 on the container, isdesigned to fit within the shoulder l2 after the sealing member l4 andthe rim I8 have been discarded. In this position shown in Fig. 4, theflange in cooperation with the shoulder l2, serves the purpose ofcentering or interfitting means which provides an efficient, thoughunsealed, closure for the container.

It will be apparent from a consideration of the foregoing that a noveland advantageous container structure has been provided which is simpleand accordingly inexpensive to manufacture, which has marked sealingadvantages attainable by a simple manipulation requiring but slighteifort for both applying and releasing, and which utilizes part of thenovel means for effecting such seal to provide a suitable closure meansfor the container when refilled with a food product which does notrequire sealing.

I claim as my invention:

l. A container for food products including, in combination, a mouthportion having an internal shoulder formed thereon, a sealing memberformed. of a resilient material seated on said shoulder in closingrelation to said mouth portion, a rigid stopper bearing on said sealingmember inwardly of said shoulder, said mouth portion having an externalgroove formed therein, and a clamping member having means adapted forholding engagement in said grooves and an inner peripheral flangeadapted for engagement with said stopper, the dimensional relationshipof said groove, holding means, flange, stopper and shoulder being suchthat, upon engagement of said holding means with said groove, saidstopper will be depressed against the resiliency of said sealing membercausing it to assume a concave position in which a yieldable sealingthrust is exerted on said shoulder by the marginal edges of said sealingmember.

2. A glass container for food products including, in combination, acylindrical mouth portion having an internal annular shoulder formedthereon, a disk-shaped sealing member formed of a resilient materialperipherally seated on said shoulder in closing relation to said mouthportion, a glass stopper having an annular depending flange adapted forengagement with said sealing member radially inwardly of said shoulderupon application of said stopper to the mouth of the container, andmeans for holding said stopper in a depressed position against theresiliency of said sealing member causing it to assume a concaveposition, said stopper being adapted to seat on said shoulder with saidflange fitted within said shoulder when said holding means and saidsealing member are no longer employed.

3. A container for food products including, in combination, an annularshoulder defining the mouth portion of said container, a disk-shapedsealing member formed of a flexible resilient material seated on saidshoulder in closing relation to said mouth portion, a closure memberhaving an annular depending flange adapted for engagement with saidsealing member radially inwardly of said shoulder upon application ofsaid closure member to the mouth of said container, and means forexerting a predetermined downward closing thrust on said closure memberto a position in which said sealing member is flexed downwardly to aconcave position, such position constituting the permanent sealingposition of said sealing member in which the peripheral edge thereofacts to exert, through its resiliency, a yieldable sealing thrust onsaid shoulder and from which position said peripheral edge is free toyield upwardly.

4. A structure of the character described comprising, in combination, areceptacle having an annular internal horizontal ledge spaced downwardlyfrom its open upper end and having external locking means to interengagewith a clamping device, a flexible sealing disk fitting within said openend and bearing upon said ledge, a closure fitting within said upper endand having a downwardly projecting annular flange on its lower facespaced a substantial distance inwardly from its perimeter and restingupon the upper face of said disk a slight distance inwardly from saidledge, and an annular clamping device surrounding the upper end of saidreceptacle and comprising an inwardly-extending flange portion overlyingsaid closure and a skirt portion fashioned tosnap into engagement withsaid locking means when said device is pressed downwardly, therebycausing said annular flange on the closure to exert a downward pressureon said sealing disk to flex the latter slightly downwardly into concaveform and thereby insure sealing contact between said disk and saidledge.

5. A structure of the character described comprising, in combination, areceptacle having an annular internal ledge spaced downwardly from itsopen upper end and having an external looking shoulder, a flexiblesealing disk fitting within said open end and bearing upon said ledge, aclosure fitting within said upper end and having a downwardly projectingannular flange spaced inwardly from its perimeter and resting upon saiddisk a slight distance inwardly from said ledge, and clamping meansengaging said closure and the locking shoulder on said receptacle, saidclamping means when in operative position exerting a downward pressureon said closure and causing the said flange thereon to exert a downwardpressure on said disk to flex the latter into concave form and therebyinsure sealing contact between said sealing member and said ledge.

CARL M. PLOCHMAN.

